HTLJ:YH Hydras, Pumpkins, and Fools, Oh My
by Arianna18
Summary: Iolaus tries to adjust to his new life as an Academy cadet with a little help from his friends.


Iolaus sat high up on the back wall that surrounded the Academy grounds, frowning as he absentmindedly shredded bark from the twig he fiddled with in his hands. The full moon hung like a great silver orb in the sky above him, partially obscured from time to time by the clouds which scudded across the sky, driven by the brisk night wind. With a glum expression, he looked up at the moon, and the stars, then his eyes lowered and roamed the dim reaches of the countryside beyond the Academy.

He thought of this wall as his in-between space, the only space he sometimes felt he belonged in. On the outside was the world he could not enter independently or freely. Not until he graduated, at least. If he did, if he left the Academy before then, he'd be hunted down and thrown into prison. So, he didn't belong in the outside world. Even if he ran, he didn't have anywhere out there to go. He sure didn't want to go back to living on the streets, and his mother had taken off with some poet. Not that he minded, so long as she was happy with him. She sure hadn't had many days of joy with his Dad...or with him, for that matter, given he was always getting into trouble, mouthing off and being a general nuisance.

Inside the wall was the Academy, a place where the sons of rich merchants, princes, kings and at least one god came to learn the skills of the mind and the skills of war. Everyone there but him was a somebody. They were all better educated, more sophisticated, better mannered and better dressed than he was. The ones his age had had a year's start on him, so he was always having to catch up with the studies...and he always felt stupid in the classes, rarely having the quick, right answer, just the quick, smartmouthed comeback. He didn't feel much like he belonged there either. Most times, everyone treated him like he was some kind of fool. There were a lot of days when he just felt like staying in bed, and pulling the sheet up over his head, rather than get up and face it all over again.

Take today for example. It was the last morning of studies before everyone else was taking off for the Night of the Dead holiday weekend, the annual festival to remember the spirits of those gone before, which had turned into a celebration of life. Iolaus had been supposed to make a presentation in class to set out his analysis of some stupid classical poem Fiducious had assigned them to study the day before. What did he know about 'pathetic fallacy', metaphors, and hyperbole? Nothing. Zip. Nadda. Mostly because he cared nothing, zip, nadda about poetry. If someone had something to say, he figured they should just say it, not obscure it or dress it up with fancy words and weird imagery. So, what had he done? He'd faked a severe case of laryngitis to get out of having to speak. Old Fiddle Face had looked at him highly skeptically but had let it go for once.

Then, at the mess hall, one of the other bright lights in his class had heard him laughing about something as he helped himself to a generous portion of the day's special dessert, a fruit flavoured gelatin concoction that was a specialty of the Academy's cook...and one of the few things the cook could prepare without screwing it up. Ortinus had leaned over and, in a loud voice, commented sarcastically that Iolaus' bad throat had seemed to have cleared up miraculously.

When Iolaus made a comeback about the gella being a good, soothing remedy for an ailing throat, Ortinus had sneered at him. "It's all 'trick or treat' with you, isn't it, Iolaus? Either you're faking something to get out of your work, or to hide the fact that you're just plain stupid, or you're grabbing for fun and food. You're a disgrace to the Academy. You shouldn't even be here."

The observation hit too close to home, reflected too much Iolaus' own assessment of how well he fit in, or rather didn't. He'd just made some stupid remark and pretended to ignore the jerk, but out of the corner of his eye, he had seen Hercules wince and Jason assume a long suffering look.

Iolaus sighed. The only person he'd known here when he'd been brought by Alcmene as an alternative to going to prison for theft, was Herc. They'd been friends throughout most of their childhood, best friends, but Iolaus had driven Herc away two years ago. He couldn't ever tell Herc why, that it was because his violent father had made threats against Alcmene if Iolaus didn't stop hanging around with the demigod, who his father considered no more than a disgraceful bastard, his mother a whore. Iolaus swallowed. He loved Alcmene, and wouldn't ever risk anything happening to her. As far as he was concerned, she represented warmth and home, a place of safety and acceptance, a woman who's smile lit his world. And, if his Dad had hurt her, Herc would have blown up, and would have gotten into trouble. Iolaus would rather die than risk either of their lives or well-being.

So, he'd driven Herc away, and had shortly thereafter run away to live in the streets to avoid the abuse at home. He knew the things he'd said to Hercules still bothered the demigod, but Herc never mentioned it, just waited, hoping Iolaus would someday explain. But, Iolaus had never wanted Herc to know how bad it had been with his Dad, or that he'd done what he had to protect Hercules and his mother, so Iolaus remained silent. It left a bit of a wall between them. And, Herc had been at the Academy for a whole year before Iolaus arrived, so he'd made other friends, good friends like Jason. Iolaus knew that their friendship sometimes put Herc in an awkward position. After all, who wants to be best buds with the class moron, who was an ex-thief to boot? To Herc's credit, Iolaus knew Hercules never even thought about the fact that one friend was a prince and the other a thief. Herc didn't categorize people that way, status wasn't important to him.

The three of them hung around a lot, Hercules being the common element between Iolaus and Jason. But, they'd fallen into a kind of patter, a way of acting in which Jason and Herc patronized Iolaus a bit, teasing him in ways that too often left Iolaus looking, and feeling, like a fool. He didn't say anything, figuring he was lucky they hung around with him at all. But, it wasn't always easy.

And, then there was Jason. Prince Jason, Crown Prince of Corinth, Herc's new best friend. Out of deference for Herc's old friendship with him, Jason didn't actually come right out and say he thought Iolaus was an idiot who couldn't be trusted, but sometimes Iolaus could see it in his eyes. And Jason had made it pretty clear that he and Herc were tight. Like this weekend. The two of them had headed off to Corinth for the annual costume ball. Iolaus hadn't been invited. Herc had asked if he'd minded being left behind, and Iolaus had scoffed, as if the last thing he'd ever want to do was dress up in fancy clothes and mingle with snooty royalty, and besides, he reminded Hercules, he had lots of studying to catch up on. He knew Herc had wanted to go...for the last three weeks, all he'd heard was what a great time it'd been last year. So, Iolaus was the only cadet left at the Academy that weekend. The only cadet who had no where else to go.

Tossing the stripped stick away, he drummed his fingers on the wall on either side of him. He'd only been there for a couple of months. It'd likely get better, or at least, eventually, he'd get used to all of them, and they'd get used to him. Whether he'd ever really belong wasn't something he expected to happen. He clasped his hands loosely in his lap, bowing his head. He didn't know if he'd ever really belonged anywhere, except in Alcmene's kitchen. He grinned a little, remembering how good it had always felt to be there.

He jerked a bit in surprise when the black cat dropped down from a branch to land beside him, and then climbed up onto his lap. "Well, Horatio, looks like it's just you and me this weekend," he said to the cat the Academy kept to keep the mice down. Scratching the cat gently between the ears, the young cadet continued the conversation, "So, what do you want to do over the holiday? Play a quick game of cat and mouse in the stable, see who can trap the most prey first? Or, how about Hunting 101...we could practice stalking birds together. What do you say?" The cat purred and rubbed it's warm, furry cheek against Iolaus' hand. 'Well, at least the livestock like me,' Iolaus thought bemusedly. 'I can't be all bad!'

He looked up and around when he heard the clip clop of Cheiron's approach on the cobbled yard behind him. "Iolaus?" the Centaur called out. "We've got a problem."

* * *

Cheiron had been the only one of the staff who'd stayed at the Academy over the weekend, and Iolaus suspected it was because they didn't think they could leave him completely unsupervised. Cheiron didn't treat him any different than he treated any of the others, but Iolaus didn't think the Centaur really trusted him. Why would he? What was there to trust at this point?

Iolaus lifted his legs up from the far side of the wall, swiveled and jumped down to meet the Centaur. "What problem, Cheiron?" the cadet asked as he strode across the yard.

Cheiron's face looked particularly grave, not that he ever looked joyful. 'A sober guy is our Cheiron,' Iolaus thought. But, he respected the Centaur. Respected his integrity and his wisdom. And he was grateful that Cheiron had accepted him into the Academy simply based on Alcmene's good reference which the Centaur seemed to think balanced his history as a thief. Iolaus always thought this meant that Cheiron showed good judgment in whom he chose to trust.

"I've just had a messenger from the King of Corinth inquiring as to why Jason and Hercules never arrived at the palace, wondering if they'd been detained here."

"What? But, they left at least eight hours ago...."

Cheiron nodded. "Yes, I know. That's the problem. Something must have happened to them to keep them from reaching their destination."

There was a fast, sinking feeling of fear in Iolaus' stomach. Gods, surely nothing had happened to Herc! "What can I do to help?" he asked, without hesitation.

Cheiron favoured him with a spare smile. "This could be dangerous, Iolaus. There is no one here to help us if we run into serious trouble in trying to find them."

Iolaus just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we likely will. It wouldn't be something simple, like getting lost, that would keep Herc and Jason from getting to Corinth. But, we can't just do nothing!"

"I agree. I've sent word back to the King, and he will no doubt send a squad of royal guardsman to assist in the search, but I would prefer not to wait, in case they are in any serious danger. I want to start the search now."

The sun was well down, but the moon was full. Tracking wouldn't be easy but it wasn't impossible. Iolaus nodded, "Sure, I'll just get my gear and meet you at the gate."

Favouring the cadet with a nod of approval, Cheiron turned and headed to his own quarters to make his own preparations as Iolaus jogged to the barracks.

Ten minutes later, they met at the gates, both armed with swords and carrying waterskins and packs of bandages and herbs in case they were needed. "I've heard that you have superior tracking skills, Iolaus. Is that true?"

Not wanting to sound like he was bragging, but knowing he could do this, Iolaus nodded. "I've hunted ever since I was a little kid, often at night."

"All right, you take the lead," the Centaur indicated with a nod of his head. Iolaus hitched his pack more securely onto his shoulder and led the way into the night.

The task was made easier by the fact that Iolaus knew the route Herc and Jason had taken when they'd set off across country, cutting across fields to take a shorter route to Corinth than the winding road provided. He'd been watching from the wall when they'd headed out, and he strode now in the same direction, watching the trail, picking out the boot prints in the soft soil, the evidence of trodden grass, and the occasional broken stalk of weed. They tracked the two lost cadets in silence.

For a while, the trail headed toward the copse of trees about a mile away, and Iolaus worried about whether there'd be enough light to track through the woods in the dark. But, just as they neared the treeline, the tracks swerved to amble around the edge of the forest. It had been a bright, crisp day filled with the scents of autumn and harvest, warm in the sun, but it would have been chilly under the shade of the trees. The guys had evidently decided to take a little longer route, but enjoy the good weather and sunshine. Iolaus heaved a slight sigh of relief.

"Is everything all right, Iolaus?" asked Cheiron, hearing the sigh.

The cadet looked up and nodded. "Yeah, better than all right. You see, here, they angle away from the woods, so it means it'll be easier to keep tracking them."

Cheiron nodded as he examined the ground Iolaus indicated. The Centaur was a master tracker himself, but he saw no reason to share that information. Confident now that Iolaus knew what he was doing, and would not be distracted by conversation, Cheiron asked, "How have things been going the last couple of months, Iolaus?"

Startled, Iolaus threw a glance behind him at the normally taciturn Master of the Academy. He was surprised by the question, and even more by the tone. Cheiron had actually sounded interested, and his voice held an undertone of concern. "Uh, fine...everything's been going fine," the cadet responded mendaciously.

"Oh?" the Centaur reflected. "I'm glad to hear it. I thought you might have found the adjustment a bit daunting."

"Daunting?" Iolaus repeated, wondering what Cheiron was getting at, and figuring he must know Iolaus wasn't doing all that well academically. 'Well, sure he'd know, idiot,' Iolaus scolded himself. Who didn't know? Deciding to admit the obvious, he said diffidently, "Well, actually, yeah...I haven't been in school for more than a year, so I'm quite a bit behind the others. And, well, I guess I'm not much of a student." He flashed a look up at the Centaur who was now walking along beside him. "I was always better at sports and hunting than studying."

Cheiron nodded, as if was considering this. "Fiducious has suggested a little extra tutoring might help," he reflected.

Iolaus grimaced. Great, even more time with the books. What joy. But, he was smart enough to know he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. He winced as he realized this was not a particularly appropriate thought when he was talking to a centaur. "Yeah, I guess so," he temporized. Frankly, he wasn't really sure tutoring would help. He wasn't sure he was smart enough in the first place.

"Hmm," said the Centaur glancing at the cadet. "You don't sound particularly certain. Is there something worrying you about the classes?"

Iolaus shrugged uncomfortably, turning his face away from Cheiron's too perceptive eyes. He walked in silence for a minute, wondering how to answer. Sighing, he decided he might as well be honest. Everyone knew he wasn't the sharpest kid in the Academy. "It's just that, well.... Cheiron, you know that if I don't make it at the Academy, I have a one way ticket to prison."

He glanced up to catch the centaur's nod. "What does that have to do with your studies?" questioned the teacher.

"Well, it's just that I'm not sure I'm good enough...you know, smart enough. Most of the time, I feel like a bit of an idiot. But...I don't want to fail."

"You don't want to fail because you'd go to prison, is that it?"

"Yeah, partly. But, I just don't like to fail. I don't like feeling stupid," the cadet confessed, surprised at his own candour. There was something about walking along in the dark which made confidences easier. He'd never be able to talk to Cheiron like this in the Centaur's office.

"Iolaus, in half a dozen sentences, you've suggested that you may not be good enough, smart enough, that you feel like an idiot, fear you might fail and that you feel stupid. Before we go on, let's clear up one thing."

Iolaus hunched his shoulders a bit defensively, wondering if Cheiron was just going to confirm that he wasn't good enough, so why worry about it...just accept it. The Centaur saw the reaction and frowned, reading the cadet like an open book. "Iolaus, you are not stupid. To be more precise, you are not an idiot, you are good enough, smart enough, and you are not at all likely to fail, unless you convince yourself that you can't succeed."

Iolaus stopped dead in his tracks and turned to the Centaur, his mouth open in surprise, his eyes confused by the confident assertions spoken in a no-nonsense voice. "But...."

The Centaur rested a hand lightly on the cadet's shoulder. "No 'but's'. The others have a year's worth of knowledge that you do not have, but knowledge can be acquired. It is not a birthright, but a matter of application. They also may have skills in learning which you do not yet have, but they too can be acquired. Would you consider the others stupid because they cannot track or hunt with the same expertise that you have? Would you consider them idiots because they don't have the least idea of how to survive alone on the streets?"

"Uh, no...of course not. It's just that the skills I have don't mean very much...."

"They might mean the difference in finding your friends. And, that might mean the difference between life and death depending on what kind of trouble they have fallen into."

Iolaus swallowed and looked away. "Anybody can learn how to hunt or track. It's not all that hard."

"Neither is reading a book and analyzing the messages in it. Words are just different kinds of tracks. In both cases, it's a matter of understanding what the signs mean, of figuring out the direction they are going in. You didn't learn to track overnight. Your expertise took time to acquire. Give yourself a little time, Iolaus, and believe a bit more in yourself. Someone stupid would not have learned to survive in the kind of life you had to live. You needed to learn how to read people and situations, you needed to learn how to anticipate and assess danger."

The cadet snorted ruefully. "Oh yeah, right. I was so good at it all that I got caught."

"You got caught because you were more concerned about saving someone else's life than saving your own hide. That's not stupid, Iolaus. That's integrity, and courage."

Iolaus threw the Centaur a startled look. "You think Alcmene didn't tell me what you did, taking on the two older boys who planned to rob, molest and kill her?" Cheiron asked.

"Oh, well, I...anybody would have...." Confused by the unaccustomed praise, Iolaus fumbled for words. Finally, he just said quietly, "I couldn't let them hurt her...."

"I know, that's the point. So, let's not have anymore of the 'I'm not smart enough' nonsense. You're as bright as any of the other cadets, brighter than a good number of them. And you have more real life experience than any of the others have yet acquired," Cheiron asserted.

Iolaus squinted a little as he looked up at the night sky, then faced his teacher. "Thanks," he said, swallowing unexpected emotion at the approbation and affirmation of his potential. No one had ever said anything like this to him before, except Alcmene and, when they were younger kids in school, Herc. But, he'd always kind of discounted their words, believing they only said them because they liked him and were basically kind.

They walked on quietly for another quarter of a mile. "Is there anything else that's been bothering you, Iolaus?" the Centaur asked.

"Cheiron, why are you asking me this stuff?" Iolaus countered, determined not to talk about how awkward he felt with the other cadets, or how he didn't feel like he belonged anywhere.

Cheiron nodded. "That's a fair question. In part, I'm interested because you are my student, and I am concerned about you. In part, I suppose, because you remind me a little of myself when I was around your age."

"You're kidding, right? I remind you of you?" Iolaus replied, the skepticism muted by the grin he couldn't suppress.

"I'm quite serious. When I was young, I was sent to live amongst human mortals and was the only centaur in the community. My father was the Chieftain of our nation, and he wanted to build better relationships with humans, believing that our lack of understanding of one another had led to prejudices born of ignorance. He hoped I would become the first plank in the bridge between our two peoples."

"That had to be tough," murmured Iolaus. "Talk about pressure."

"Yes, there was pressure to please my father, pressure to succeed. To have failed would have meant returning home in disgrace," the Centaur sighed quietly. "I felt like a fish out of water. I didn't understand the people I was living with, learning with. We had completely different backgrounds, different points of view, different terms of reference. And, in the way of youth, sometimes they could be quite cruel. I felt isolated and, often, I felt despised."

"I'm sorry...I had no idea," Iolaus muttered, trying to picture the imposing, austere, supremely confident and capable Centaur as an insecure, lonely youth.

Cheiron looked down at the cadet walking beside him. "When you first arrived, and I realized that you would face many of the same feelings and challenges, I almost said, 'Welcome to my Nightmare'," the teacher said with a rueful smile. "But, I didn't want to discourage you the very first day."

In spite of himself, Iolaus chuckled at that. "Thanks...I appreciate it, I think."

"Iolaus, the point is, you _are_ different. You do not have the same background or heritage of the others. But different is not bad, is not less, is not something to regret or be ashamed of. It's just different. There is much you can learn from the others, but there is much you can teach them as well."

"Cheiron, how did you succeed so well? I mean, it had to have been hard," Iolaus asked, intrigued, as he thought about the Centaur's words.

"Instead of telling myself I didn't want to fail, which implied I might, I told myself I wasn't going to fail. Indeed, I told myself that there was no reason that I couldn't be just as successful as any of them, more than many. You see, Iolaus, you can achieve virtually anything if you believe in yourself. You can achieve virtually nothing, if you don't. It's a question of how you see yourself, not of how others see you. It is also a question of how you see the world around you. If you see threat and danger, you will be defensive. If you see opportunities, or friends, you will find them waiting for you."

That all sounded a bit too easy, Iolaus thought. How did people who thought you were an idiot suddenly become friends? How could just believing in yourself make you a success?

Cheiron had been reading the expressions on the cadet's face. Doubt, skepticism, a hesitant desire to believe. "A lot of it is about confidence, Iolaus. People who have confidence in themselves instill confidence in other people. It's also about accepting other people as they are, and liking them for who they are. People who feel liked by someone most often find themselves liking that person in return. It's an odd thing, Iolaus, but you can see only what you look for. If you look for hostility, you will find it. Just as if you look for the good in people, you will find that as well."

"Sounds like magic," Iolaus said.

"Yes, it is a kind of magic," Cheiron replied.

They'd covered about three miles, and were heading across a farm which had been abandoned the year before. The old farmer had died off, and his heirs, a couple of nephews and a niece, had not yet decided what to do with the land. The small farm bordered on the forest, and in the distance, they could see the sturdy old stone house, shining white in the moonlight.

Watching the ground, Iolaus suddenly stopped, and dropped to one knee. Something had crossed over the path of his friends. It was an odd sign, very smooth, as if something had slid over the ground. As he examined it further, he noted that whatever it was, it was large, more than two feet wide, and it moved with a serpentine motion.

"What is it?" asked Cheiron quietly, his eyes scanning the area, watching for trouble.

"I'm not sure, but I think something started to trail them..." Iolaus looked up. "It's big, moves like a snake. It might have been hunting them."

Cheiron examined the sign, not liking what he saw. Whatever it was, it meant the cadets they were searching for may well have run into something very dangerous. He nodded, as Iolaus stood and stalked forward, studying the ground intently.

About a quarter of mile further on, he found where the tracks deviated from the direction of Corinth. "I think this is where they realized something was after them," he murmured, turning with the trail. "They started to run here," he looked up, "toward that old farmhouse."

With increased vigilance, moving in silence now, the two trackers followed the sign. Halfway to the farmhouse, they came across the remains of a broken down, stone fence, many of the sizable rocks half hidden in the wild growth of the fields gone fallow. Again, Iolaus knelt, studying the ground. "Someone tripped here, over the stone. I can see where they skidded hard into the earth...and here, one of them is helping the other to walk."

A few feet further on, he looked up at Cheiron. "Jason was hurt, probably from the fall. Herc carried him from this point. See, there's only one set of prints and they are much deeper than the ones before. I know Herc's boot prints...and besides, I'm not sure Jason could carry Hercules and run at the same time, and the length of his stride shows that he _was_ running. Whatever was tailing them was still after them...you can see it's sign over here, crossing back and forth over theirs."

They stopped then, evaluating the terrain. If the cadets had made it to the stone house, there was a possibility that they were still holed up in it, held captive by whatever was hunting them. If one was hurt, they could only outrun it so far, and once in the house, they may not have been able to slip past it, to escape. Besides the house, there was a small barn made of wood planks, a shed, a small fenced corral, and some distance removed, an outhouse.

They circled a bit, so that their approach would come up behind the barn, hopefully to keep whatever might be out there from seeing them. They were also careful to stay downwind. As they neared the barn, they came across the remains of the old vegetable garden where the unharvested produce had grown wild. There were clumps of lettuce, vines of tomatoes, stalks of beets and turnip and, in one corner of the garden, a pumpkin patch had grown madly, with thick, twisting vines and huge, swollen orange pumpkins.

They crept up quietly, and peered around the edge of the barn. And froze at the sight before them. A hydra, a very big hydra, one might even say a massive hydra, was slithering around the side of the house. Frustrated, it kept trying to poke its head in through windows and the door, but its head and body were too large. As they watched, it slammed its tail against the thick stone wall of the house, trying to batter it down, and while some mortar shook loose, crumbling from the assault, the walls withstood the attack. Luckily, hydras were not very bright, or it might have realized it could have gained relatively easy access through the thatched roof.

Cheiron and Iolaus backed silently away from the edge of the barn, to stand in the shadows behind it. This was not good. Stupid as it was, it was only a matter of time before the hydra slithered up over the walls and found its way in. At that point, Herc and Jason would be trapped. There wasn't time to go for backup, or to wait for the royal guards to find them.

Cheiron and Iolaus looked at each other, silently weighing up the situation. Their glances took in one another's weapons, and it was clear they did not have the armament to take on a hydra. A couple of swords would not take down this megasnake. Two of them weren't enough to chase it away. They needed to distract it, slow it down, long enough to get the cadets out of the house and for them all to get away safely.

'How do you slow down a hydra?' Iolaus mused. 'How do you slow down anything? Easy. Incapacitate it. Lock it up. Tie it down.'

Iolaus scanned the area, seeking inspiration. They couldn't incapacitate it, and he didn't want to be the one to lure it into the barn, and risk getting trapped inside with it. Besides, the wooden plank walls wouldn't hold it for long. What could he use to tie down a hydra? And, how could it be done?

His eyes fell on the pumpkin patch. Specifically, he looked at the yards of vines. Thick, resilient vines.

Iolaus moved in close to Cheiron who bent down to listen as Iolaus started to whisper. "Okay, here's an idea...feel free to shoot it down. I think I can make a snare out of the pumpkin vines, but we need something to anchor it to, something strong enough to hold the hydra for at least half an hour, to give us time to get far enough away." The two of them again scanned their environment, this time looking for something solid, strong, heavy. They didn't see anything in the fields that would meet their needs.

Cheiron turned and examined the barn itself. Walking silently toward the far end, he studied the stone foundation, and stopped as he came almost to the corner. With a wave, he brought Iolaus to his side. Iolaus knelt and examined the area of foundation Cheiron had pointed down at. There were holes, not large ones, but holes nonetheless through the mortar. At some point, rats had gnawed their way into the barn to get at the grain inside. Persistent little devils. There was also a break in the wooden wall of the barn, where some of the planks had come loose and fallen in, that was big enough for Iolaus to climb through. He could push the vine rope through the wall, and, from inside, push it back out again, tying it securely around the heavy stone foundation. It would do. In fact, it would do very nicely.

Iolaus turned and crept to the pumpkin patch. Pulling out his dagger, he traced vines for their full length and then cut them, keeping each individual piece as long as possible. Once he had what he needed, he carried his supplies back to the shadow of the barn. He squatted down on the ground, and began to tie the vines together, knotting each segment tightly to the next. The vines were thicker than his fingers, but, they were resilient and flexible, so he could trust the strength of the knots he made. When he had a length of thirty feet, he took one end, pushed it through the stone wall, and then climbed through the opening between the wooden wall slats. Moments later, Cheiron saw the vine protrude back out through another hole.

Iolaus followed shortly after and quickly knotted, and reknotted the vine three times close to the wall. Standing, he gripped the vine and handed a segment to Cheiron, while he kept a segment in his own hand. "Pull, as hard as you can," he whispered, wanting to test the knots, however modestly. They leaned both their weight into pulling the vine taut...and the knots held.

Satisfied, Iolaus began working on the other end of the vine, looping it and tying the loop with a slip knot. He then edged to the corner of the barn, and looked for a place to anchor the loop, so that the hydra would slither through it unaware. The shed looked like the best bet. He moved silently back to Cheiron.

"Okay," he whispered, "I can dig my dagger into the wall of the shed over there, and drape the loop over it, trailing one end of the loop along the ground. I need your dagger to create a similar hook for the loop on this side, so that the top of it is high enough off the ground for the hydra to pass under it. I'll distract it away from the house, and when it's clear, you can go get Herc and Jason. Is it all right for Jason to ride you...I mean, I know it's disrespectful, but we need to move him away from here fast. Herc can run as fast as you can, and I'm almost as fast as he is, at least on shorter distances. I'll draw the hydra after me back this way, through the loop of vines, and pull it tight. Then, I'll run after the three of you. Okay?"

Cheiron frowned heavily down at the diminutive cadet. "Iolaus," he whispered back, "Have you ever hunted a hydra before?" When Iolaus shook his head, Cheiron continued, "They move exceedingly fast, and they are among the most vicious creatures on earth. If it catches you, if it slips the loop, or if you can't tighten it fast enough, it will kill you."

Iolaus looked away, silent for a moment, then shrugged and looked back. "Do you have a better idea?" he murmured. "Before you suggest you should be the decoy, remember that I can't carry Jason...and, that because I'm smaller, I can maneuver in tight places more easily. There's also less of me for it to get a hold on."

Cheiron bit his lip as he looked out over the dark fields. Sighing, he nodded. Iolaus was right. There were only two of them, and they didn't have other options. Iolaus had to be the decoy because Cheiron's strength was needed to help the others escape.

Iolaus had taken a step to move around him, when Cheiron put a hand on his shoulder. When Iolaus paused and looked up at him, Cheiron held out his arm, hand open, inviting the warrior's clasp. Iolaus looked at the outstretched hand, then back up at Cheiron, who nodded. Abashed, Iolaus gripped Cheiron's forearm with his right hand, his own being gripped in return. "Good luck, Iolaus...and be careful."

Iolaus grinned at the admonishment. "Careful is my middle name!" he whispered. That clearly outrageous statement won an unexpected grin from Cheiron. The Centaur squeezed his shoulder, then handed Iolaus his dagger. They moved to their respective corners of the barn.

Cheiron watched as Iolaus shoved the Centaur's dagger into the wood of the barn, just above his head, and looped the vine over it. Iolaus peered around the corner, then when he was sure the hydra's attention was occupied on the house, he loped quickly but silently across the open space between the barn and the shed. slipping into the shadows at the back of the shed. He reached up with his own dagger, and pushed it into the wood, looping the vine over it. Iolaus then ducked back to the pumpkin patch, Cheiron wondering what he was doing, until he saw the youth pick up a couple of sizable pumpkins. Iolaus nodded toward his teacher, then moved back and along the far side of the barn, lost to Cheiron's sight.

Moments later, the Centaur heard the cadet shouting, shattering the silence of the night, "_Hey you ugly snake! Hungry? How about a pumpkin_?"

Watching from his corner of the barn, Cheiron saw the hydra's head snap up, then saw it flinch as a pumpkin hit and bounced off its leather like hide. With a roar, the hydra slid with incredible speed toward the far side of the barn, at which point Cheiron made his move, cantering to the front edge of the barn, pausing only briefly to peer around it.

He saw Iolaus darting around the outhouse at the far end of the yard, the hydra hot on his tail. Hercules had come to the door of the stone farmhouse, alarmed when he heard Iolaus' voice, and horrified to see the hydra chasing after him. He was about to join in that chase, when Cheiron's voice stopped him.

"Hercules, wait!"

Startled, Herc looked up and saw the Centaur cantering toward him, calling softly as he came forward, "Get Jason. Hurry!"

Herc felt torn. He didn't want to leave Iolaus alone with the hydra, but Cheiron called to him again, underscoring his words with all the authority he possessed. Hercules ducked back into the farmhouse, and raced to Jason, who was sitting against the corner wall.

"Was that Iolaus?" Jason exclaimed, not quite believing his ears.

"Yeah," confirmed Hercules as he bent to lift Jason into his arms. "Iolaus is distracting the hydra and Cheiron is out front, waiting for us." Hercules had turned as he spoke and was already heading out of the door.

Cheiron nodded at Jason while he spoke urgently to Hercules, all the while keeping half an eye on the activity at the far end of the compound. Iolaus had come around the edge of the outhouse and had paused to throw the second pumpkin at the hydra, further enraging it and ensuring its attention remained upon him.

"Hercules, help Jason up onto my back, and then we are going to run as fast as we can," he ordered.

"But, Iolaus...." Hercules protested even as he lifted the injured prince onto the Centaur's back.

"Iolaus knows what he's doing, and he'll be right behind us. If you interfere, you'll put him at risk. Now, follow me!"

Jason clasped his hands around Cheiron's waist, and the three hurtled away from the house, sprinting across the fields, heading back toward the Academy. Jason twisted his head around to watch what was happening behind them. Iolaus had raced around the outhouse a second time, and now was bounding as fast as his legs would carry him back through the space between the shed and the barn, the hydra not more than eight feet behind him.

"Gods, the crazy kid's going to get himself killed!" Jason swore softly, then yelped when a hard bounce jarred his broken leg. Herc had splinted it, using the leg of the kitchen table and sheets he'd found and torn into strips, but it still hurt like Tarturus.

Hercules had also looked back, and stopped. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just run and leave Iolaus behind.

"Hercules!" Cheiron called to him. "There's nothing you can do. Iolaus can take care of himself."

Herc called back over his shoulder. "I can't just leave him. You go ahead, get Jason to safety. Iolaus and I will catch up." With that, Herc was racing back toward the farmstead.

Iolaus had seen them running across the field under the light of the moon as he swerved around the front of the outhouse, running for his life. The hydra roared out behind him, louder than a lion, and he dug in his feet to launch himself forward as fast as he could go, dashing down the narrow passage between shed and barn. Mindful of the snare, he jumped over it then turned sharply against the side of the barn, reaching for Cheiron's dagger, pulling it from the wall, and the vine it held with it.

The hydra had been lunging after him, jaws gaping wide, determined to catch this new, and more accessible, meal. Although it saw its quarry dart to the side, its own momentum carried it forward, unable to slow and swerve as tightly as the mortal had.

As it passed over the snare, its head low having been targeted on Iolaus' head and shoulder, Iolaus yanked on the vine, pulling it with all his strength to close and tighten the loop as he ran back along the barn wall. The first trick was to get it snug around the hydra, the second was to get as far away as fast as possible. Thirty feet of vine gave the monster a lot of room to come after him until it reached the end of its tether.

As he charged past the far edge of the barn, he saw Hercules running toward him. "Herc, get back!" he shouted. He knew he'd snared the hydra, but he also knew it was right behind him, still determined to eat well that night.

Hercules eyes widened in horror as he saw the hydra close behind Iolaus, it's long sinuous neck outstretched, its jaws opened wide, the moonlight glinting from its horrific fangs.

Iolaus could hear its roar in his ear as he raced forward, gauging the distance...almost there. Dammit, Herc was still coming towards him. Didn't he know he was supposed to be going the other way?

Distracted by his friend's proximity to the danger looming behind him, Iolaus missed the rut in the dark and tripped, falling headlong, hitting the ground hard. Herc saw the hydra rise up over him, preparing to plunge its head down to grab and maul its quarry. With a desperate burst of speed, Hercules lunged forward then launched himself into the air, feet first, flying over Iolaus' sprawled body, his feet connecting with the head of the beast and knocking it away from its target.

Twisting in the air, Herc landed lightly, and reached a hand to Iolaus who was scrambling to his feet, and together they darted away as the monster's head came back, roaring its fury, and lunged again after them, only to be pulled up sharply as it reached the end of the improvised rope.

Iolaus cast a quick look over his shoulder, and saw the vines were holding, at least for the moment. But, they wouldn't hold the monster forever. "Run!" he shouted, and the two cadets sprinted as fast as they could go across the fallow fields, following behind Cheiron who was well ahead of them.

They sprinted for half a mile, then settled into a ground eating lope. Cheiron had slowed, looked back, and was waiting for them another half mile ahead. He watched the fields behind them, but did not see the hydra, which didn't mean it wasn't there. When they were close, he turned and started galloping again, content that all of his students were now accounted for. They didn't talk as they ran, saving their breath for the journey. Jason found it took all of his attention to keep his teeth gritted against the pain, all of his determination to keep from screaming out in agony as they raced over the uneven ground.

They ran for three miles, then slowed to a jog. It was a good bet that the hydra's strength had defeated the vines by that point, but they'd put enough distance between them to hope it wouldn't keep following. Hydras were mean-tempered, wickedly fast and deadly. But they had a short attention span. They'd run downwind, giving it less of a motivation to follow. If it smelled food, it would go after it, believing it to be close enough to be worth its while. That's what had drawn it after Hercules and Jason in the first place. But, scent on the ground was less interesting because it wasn't necessarily fresh.

In another twenty minutes, they were back safe within the Academy's walls.

Cheiron headed directly for the infirmary, where Hercules helped Jason from the Centaur's back and carried him to the bed. Cheiron followed, to examine the prince's leg, while Iolaus rummaged in the cupboards to get the supplies he knew Cheiron would need, including herbs to numb the pain.

Hercules rested a hand on Jason's shoulder while Cheiron examined the break. When he was ready to straighten the leg, he nodded to Iolaus who handed Jason a rolled towel to bite on, while Hercules took a grip on Jason, to hold him while Cheiron pulled the bone into alignment.

"Ready?" Cheiron asked. When Jason nodded, he pulled and Jason arced against the pain, biting down hard and moaning sharply. While Cheiron held the leg straight, Iolaus positioned the splints and tied them tightly against Jason's leg. When he was finished, Cheiron relaxed his grip. "Well done," he said softly to Iolaus, pleased with the cadet's skill in applying the splints. Then he moved up the bed to lay a hand on Jason's brow.

Jason blinked back the tears of pain and swallowed. "Thanks," he mumbled. Cheiron rewarded him with a tight smile, then mixed the herbs Iolaus had brought with water. Holding the mug to the prince's lips, Cheiron gently raised his head, "Drink this...it will help relieve the pain."

Jason gulped down the foul tasting concoction, then sagged back on the bed.

Finally, they could pause a moment and think about all that had happened.

"How did you know we were in trouble?" Jason rasped, wanting to focus his attention on something other than the pain.

"Your father sent a messenger to find out why you had not come to the palace. Realizing something must have happened to the two of you, Iolaus and I went after you. Iolaus followed your trail to the farmstead."

Jason flicked his eyes to the small, somewhat scruffy cadet. "Thank the gods you found us! That thing would have crashed its way into the farmhouse before much more time had passed!"

Hercules raised his brows and grimaced, nodding in agreement, "Yeah, that's for sure. We didn't know it was tailing us until it was almost upon us. Then, when we were running for shelter, we didn't see the rocks under the grass and Jason tripped, twisting his leg as he fell, breaking it. We almost didn't make it to the house."

Jason had been gazing at Iolaus. "What in Tarturus were you doing playing tag with the hydra?" he asked, his tone incredulous. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Iolaus just shrugged self-consciously. "Someone had to distract it, so you guys could get away."

Cheiron interjected. "Iolaus could tell from your tracks that you'd been badly hurt, Jason, and we knew you would need to be carried. He fashioned a snare from pumpkin vines and set up the trap. But, you're right, he could have been killed saving your life." Cheiron hid his smile when he saw Iolaus blush.

"Well, I would have been the chef's special, if Herc hadn't've knocked the hydra back before it could sink its teeth into me. We all did our part tonight," he said, minimizing his heroics.

"Why did you do it? Risk your life for me?" Jason asked. Herc had been there, too, but they all knew Herc could have gotten away without the danger of having to create a distraction for the beast for the length of time it took to get Jason out of the house and up on Cheiron's back. Iolaus had taken those chances for him, and he knew it.

Iolaus looked up, surprised at the question. "You're my friends. I couldn't just leave you there. You'd have done the same for me. In fact, Herc did just that."

Jason regarded the earnest young cadet, feeling a kind of shame. He wasn't at all sure he would have done the same for Iolaus before tonight. He'd thought of Iolaus as Herc's friend, not his own. No longer. He reached out and gripped Iolaus' arm, as he said, his voice full of respect and gratitude, "Thanks, Iolaus. That took a lot of courage, not to mention skill and ingenuity. I'm not sure I deserve a friend like you, but I'm proud that you are my friend. I owe you, buddy."

"Hey, no need to get all mushy. We're cadets. It's what we do...face danger, fight monsters, help the wounded and incapacitated!" Iolaus rejoined, his tone teasing as he glanced down at Jason's broken leg. They laughed, and then Cheiron decided they needed to let Jason get some rest. It was past midnight, and they could all use some sleep.

As they left the infirmary, Iolaus pulled Cheiron's dagger from his belt and held it out to the Centaur. His teacher looked down at it, realizing that Iolaus would have had to abandon his own dagger in the wall of the shed. He shook his head, "Keep it Iolaus, as a mememto of our adventure tonight."

Iolaus looked down at the superbly crafted weapon and tried to refuse. But, Cheiron just smiled at him and turned away. He heard Iolaus murmur behind him, "Thanks, Cheiron." Somehow, he didn't think Iolaus was just refering to the dagger.

* * *

The next morning, Cheiron sent a message to the King of Corinth to assure him his son was safe, but had suffered a broken leg. Just after lunch, a coach arrived to take Jason to the palace.

Iolaus was loitering on the Academy steps, when Herc and Cheiron arrived, one on either side of the Prince, steadying him as he maneuvered himself on crutches to the coach. Hercules helped Jason inside, then they both looked over at Iolaus. "C'mon, Iolaus!" called Jason.

"What?" Iolaus responded, looking puzzled. "Come where?"

"Come back with us to the palace. The ball to celebrate the Night of the Dead is tonight. We've got plenty of time to make it!" Jason explained.

"Ah, no, that's all right. You guys go ahead," Iolaus responded, mindful that he had not been invited originally, and not wanting to intrude.

Herc and Jason exchanged glances, and Herc began to help Jason back out of the coach. "What are doing?" demanded Iolaus. In the coach, out of the coach...a bit awkward with a broken leg. "If you forgot something, I'll go get it for you. You don't need to get out," he said, standing.

Jason fixed his gaze on the blond cadet. "Iolaus, if you don't go, we don't go. We're not going to leave you here alone when it's a night to party. So, do we party here, or at the palace?"

"Jason," Iolaus replied quietly, "if this is about last night, you don't have to do this. You don't owe me anything."

Jason's eyes dropped for a moment, then came back up to meet Iolaus'. "Yeah, I do. I owe you an apology for not inviting you in the first place. I'm sorry. You're my friend, and I would like to have you come and meet my family and friends at home."

Iolaus swallowed and looked away, surprised at how moved he was by this simple statement. He blinked hard and heard Herc encourage him, "C'mon, Iolaus...it'll be fun. Lots of girls...."

Iolaus' glance came up and met Cheiron's eyes. His teacher just nodded quietly, and gave him a half smile. 'It's all about confidence, Iolaus,' those eyes said. 'Be a friend, and you will find friends.'

Iolaus cleared his throat, straightened, and turned back to Jason, "Thanks, Jason, I'd like that." He moved to the coach and climbed in behind Hercules. As it pulled away, he looked out and saw Cheiron, his teacher's hand raised in a farewell salute. He could have sworn he saw the Centaur wink at him.

A grin on his face, Iolaus settled back to enjoy the ride.

* * *

That night, the three cadets entered the hall together. It was a costume ball, and they were all dressed as dashing pirates, in silk shirts dyed in varying shades of blue, well made, skintight black leather pants, scarves at their throats and swords handing from their wide, jewelled belts. Herc wore a patch, Iolaus a spectacular golden hoop in his ear, and Jason sported a crutch in lieu of a pegged leg. Their black leather boots gleamed in the candle light. Two of the pirates helped the third who was getting good at maneuvering with the crutch, and then they all settled in to have a good time.

Iolaus' eyes danced, and his laughter rang across the hall as he jested with a princess. Jason grinned at him, while Hercules watched happily, glad that his two friends had finally found their own common ground and had become friends in their own right.

But, most of all, Hercules was delighted to see that Iolaus looked really, genuinely happy for the first time since their split up, two years before. He heaved a sigh of relief. At long last, it looked like everything really was going to work out just fine.

Finis


End file.
